Day 6 – Reaching your goals: don't tackle the new term in survival mode

Do you remember coming back from the holidays last year? You'd sworn it would be different. Less load. More meaning. Better structured.

And yet, from the very first week: back-to-back meetings, the unexpected, projects taking off faster than you. The result? You move forward. But with no clear direction. In reaction mode. In rush mode.

It isn't a question of willpower. It's a question of method. And that method starts with PSC 6, the ability to reach your goals.

This isn't an order to perform. It's an invitation to steer. Reaching your goals isn't just about "ticking off your objectives". It's about learning to look ahead, to plan, and to adjust… without burning out.

Picture a sailing boat. With no rudder. You can have the best sails and a top crew. If there's no clear direction, you drift. And the slightest gust becomes a crisis.

Goals are the map and the compass. They let you:
• know where you're going
• stay on course despite the storms
• adjust your trajectory without losing confidence
• feel real satisfaction, even if you haven't achieved everything

Why it's vital for leaders You can be highly competent, motivated, available… But if you're stuck in a loop on goals that are vague, unrealistic or imposed without meaning, you burn out.

👉 PSC 6 helps you:
• set goals that are clear, realistic and adjustable
• channel your energy in the right place
• manage your stress through a heading and milestones • strengthen confidence even when things don't go as planned

Want to get out of reaction mode? Start with a SSSTOPPPP. You could go off for 3 days in a cabin. But if you never stop, you can neither clarify nor choose.

Here's my favourite exercise: SSSTOPPPP, mindfulness leader-style, I've mentioned it before… Here's a version adapted to PSC 6:

S - Stand Up: Stand up physically.
S - Shake your body: Stretch, shake your whole body a little to release tension and emotions.
S - Sit down: Sit, settled and grounded.
T - Take a breath: Take 5 full breaths.
O - Observe: observe your environment, your thoughts (PSC 4).
P - Plan: How do you want to feel at the start of the term?
P - Prepare: What heading do you want to set for yourself as you arrive?
P - Proceed: Commit to creating the conditions to arrive in the shape you want for the new term, and remember, success is: a) a state of mind, b) good physical condition, c) skills and knowledge.
P - Pulse: Regularly take the pulse of your state and your progress. Always with as much kindness as rigour.

You can feel the shift: a moment of autopilot… into a strategic moment.

🎯 Today's micro-action: the GROW model + Visualisation Now that you've slowed down, clarify your heading with the GROW model:
• G - Goal: What's your main goal for this new term / return?
• R - Reality: Where are you with it today? (you can also do a SWOT)
• O - Options: List your options and weigh them up. Including the option of doing nothing, or chucking it all in. Those are options too. What are the 3 most appropriate paths to move forward?
• W - Will: What small step can you take as soon as you're back (important, not urgent)?

👉 Close your eyes for 30 seconds. Visualise your review, month 3, goal achieved. Breathe with that image. And now, move forward with that heading in mind. Listen to the audio and proceed.

Ready for tomorrow? We'll talk about PSC 7, the ability to make responsible choices, or how to stop saying yes to everything… so you can finally say yes to yourself.